


They hate me (and I hate me too)

by Wrath_of_Roses



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 09:16:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28936149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wrath_of_Roses/pseuds/Wrath_of_Roses
Summary: Josie's struggling with the guilt of her actions as dark Josieset after season 2(3x01 never happened in my book)
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson & Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman, Josie Saltzman & Lizzie Saltzman
Comments: 27
Kudos: 138





	1. Chapter 1

The feeling of the cold window against her flushed skin was heaven to Josie. Even now, as her world was spinning out of control, she found the joy in the simplest of things. The night sky lit up by the silent town’s lights. The near empty bus, with only two passengers on board. Josie and this petite old lady wearing a red sun hat with a golden rim around the edge. In Josie's opinion, it was quite tacky, but she couldn’t judge. Prancing around town in black ensemble was a definite contrast to her usually bright coloured wardrobe. 

As soon as Josie was back to normal, she gave all of “dark Josie’s” clothes to the goth witches. They’d have better use for them than she would. Josie was on a cleanse and the last thing she needed was a reminder of what she'd done whenever she had to get dressed in the morning.

Images of forcing her twin to merge and Hope floating in the air above a spike flashed before her eyes. Despite her sister forgiving her, she had still done terrible things. Black magic or not, it was still her who did it. The student body was right to be mad at her. Lizzie assured her they weren’t, but it was obvious. Especially at the school assembly. Alyssa Chang was right; Josie had killed her. What gives her the right to walk about the school? If it were anyone else, Josie’s pretty sure her dad would have them locked up in a cellar. But, he couldn’t do that to his daughter, even if she wouldn’t have blamed him. Lizzie would. Probably. Maybe. 

Honestly, Josie wasn’t sure of anything right now. All she wanted to do was crawl into her bed and stay there, but with Lizzie around that was out of the question. 

Her sister had made it her mission to get everyone to forgive her. So, two days after Hope jumped into her subconscious and rescued Josie, Lizzie dragged her out of bed and into the real world. 

Lizzie was doing most of the talking whilst Josie tried to make herself the smallest person in the room. However, that plan backfired since the conversations revolved around her. 

To say not many came around was an understatement. 

On their way back to their room, Lizzie held her sister in a side hug, voicing her thoughts all whilst glaring at anyone who would look in Josie’s direction with disdain. That surely wasn’t going to help her case in any way, Josie thought, but didn’t say anything. She had barely spoken in the last two days. What would she say? What could she say? Apologies can only go halfway, and even then, Josie wouldn't expect people to forgive her. She couldn't even forgive herself. 

As soon as the door shut behind her, Lizzie twirled around and marched towards Josie’s bed, yanking the sheets the brunette twin had managed to bury herself under in the span of thirty seconds.

“It’s not even three o’clock, you’ll miss the early bird special.” Lizzie quipped, one hand holding the covers whilst the other was propped on her hip.

“I’m not in the mood Lizzie.” Josie said, monotonously, her voice muffled by the cushion she was face planted in. 

If it weren't for the chill creeping up her body from the lack of warmth her covers provided her, Josie would have gladly let the cushion suffocate her for a little longer. Instead, she turned around and glared at her sister but immediately felt guilty for it and looked down. 

Josie was scared anything she would do would remind her twin of the darker part of her. The one who tried to merge with her years before they had to officially do it. How could Lizzie so easily forgive her? She basically murdered her twin, but Lizzie merely shrugged it off as if it were nothing. 

That single thought frustrated Josie. 

She would have preferred for her sister to yell at her, ignore her or something. She'd feel like shit, but she felt like it would be well deserved. 

Josie honestly couldn't understand what was going on in her twin's mind. Did she truly forgive her? Or is she too afraid to tell her truth in case she'd have some sort of relapse? 

Lizzie let the covers drop to the foot of the bed, covering Josie's feet in the process before proceeding to sit down. The mattress dipped slightly from the added weight. Josie sat up slightly, her back leaning against the headboard. 

The blond twin reached out for her twin's hand and held onto it tightly between them. "Josie." She started with a heavy sigh. "Look, I know things are difficult right now and you're not the most popular-" 

"They hate me Lizzie." Josie said deadpanned, staring into the abyss. "And they're right too. I shouldn't be here. Not like this at least. I should be locked up somewhere, where I can't hurt anyone again. I don't deserve this… this special treatment. Being the headmaster's daughter shouldn't exonerate me of all the horrible things I did." Her voice had gotten more passionate by the second, truly believing what she was saying. 

Lizzie squeezed Josie's hand in an attempt to reassure her. Knowing full well her twin needed to vent, and since the therapy position was currently vacant, Lizzie would have to do. 

"I killed someone, Lizzie. I actually killed someone. I should be locked up for that alone. It doesn't matter if she's back now or not, it doesn't change the fact that I killed Alyssa Chang. God, I'm a monster!" 

Full blown tears were streaming down Josie's face now. Her whole body shaking from her pent-up emotions. Lizzie swiftly pulled her sister closer to her and engulfed her in a bear hug; Josie clutching onto her sister for dear life. 

Moments later however, Josie pushed her sister back abruptly, scurrying away from her. Practically falling off of the bed. 

"No." She said wide eyed. "I don't deserve your empathy, Lizzie. I don't deserve any of this."

"Josie -" Lizzie started with an exasperated sigh, but Josie motioned for her to stop. 

"Please, just go." She said through her sniffles, wiping her nose with her sleeve. 

Lizzie hesitated, glancing between her twin and the door. With a final plea from Josie, Lizzie reluctantly stood up from her space on the bed and started walking to the door. Once her hand was on the door handle, she turned towards her sister.

“I love you, you know.” Lizzie said emotionally.

“I do.” Josie sniffled, wiping her nose again.

Suddenly the familiar sounds of the bus's breaks could be heard, pulling Josie out of her reverie. Sighing, she grabbed her backpack from the seat next to her and slung it across her shoulder. Standing up, she nearly tripped over the forgotten duffel bag at her feet. Picking it up, she walked past the near empty seats up to the electric doors. Biding goodnight to the bus driver, she got off.

The moment her foot hit the pavement, Josie took in a deep breath, hoping it would alleviate some of the tension in her chest. No such luck. With a melancholy sigh, she started walking towards a town map plastered on a nearby wall. After a few minutes of searching under the dying light, she spotted a motel. Skimming the street names around her, she found the name of the street that would point her in the right direction and then started walking. 

It must have taken her half an hour to walk to the motel. When she finally found herself in the lobby, she was relieved. No one tried to maul her on her way here. She wouldn't know what to do if she were to find herself in that sort of situation. Run maybe? Kick them in the crotch? She kind of regretted not having brought any pepper spray with her. With her lack of knowledge on self-defence, pepper spray would be useful. The fleeting thought of the coin where she had stored her magic came to the forefront of her mind. She shook her head.

No. 

She had left it back in Mystic Falls for a reason. She couldn't trust herself with her magic. She was better off without it, for now at least. Maybe she would take it back one day. Maybe. Right now that seemed highly doubtful. Besides, Josie left Mystic Falls for a reason. Magic would defeat the purpose of that. 

"Excuse me, miss?" A scratchy voice called. "Are you here for a room?" 

Clearing her own throat, Josie moved further inside the lobby, shimmying the backpack further up her shoulder. "Yes." She replied. 

The woman in front of her must have been in her late fifties if the wrinkles around her eyes were any indication to go by. After giving a fake name (Francis Delreaux) and cash for the room, the kind woman handed Josie the key to her room and bid her good night. 

It wasn't that bad. There was a fairly decent double bed, a TV and a bathroom. The first thing Josie did after dropping her bags on the bed, was rush under the shower. The water was borderline boiling, steaming up the entire bathroom. She didn't bother trying to readjust the temperature, the sting was a welcoming distraction. 

She stayed under the water for what seemed like an hour but was truly a few minutes. Only when the water was slowly getting colder did Josie hop out. She wanted to spend longer under there, but motels are dingy when it comes to hot water apparently. 

Without dwelling on it too much, Josie walked back inside her room and rummaged through the duffel bag. Her wet hair was dripping onto the floor, some droplets even landing on the duvet cover, but she didn't pay any attention to it - far too busy looking for her pyjamas. When she did finally find them, she hurriedly dried off and put them on. Crawling under the duvet, Josie laid on her back, fiddling with her hands; a new nervous habit of hers. 

Josie shimmied herself further down the bed, wrapping every inch of her body with the duvet. As if cocooning herself would protect her of the outside world, of all her mistakes and regrets, yet her mind would not stop spiralling. 

Ever since she’d defeated her darker self, Josie hadn’t had one minute of peace. Her guilt was gnawing at her from her insides. She didn’t know what to do to get everyone to forgive her. She didn’t even know if that were possible. She threatened all three factions. If it weren’t for Hope barging in at the right moment, what would her darker self had done? Wasn’t one murder enough? Apparently not since she nearly killed Hope and successfully killed her twin. What boggled Josie even more were the two girls' reactions since she got back. Lizzie was more attentive, encouraging, dare her say it: motherly. Whilst Hope was out right avoiding her. She hadn’t even seen a glimpse of auburn-hair in the hallways for the past few days. 

Maybe she was mad at her? Maybe she couldn’t forgive Josie for turning her into stone? Maybe she didn’t know what to say after Josie told her to kiss her maybe? Maybe she flat out didn’t want to see her? 

Whatever it was it didn’t matter now. Josie was fairly certain she would not be going back to Mystic Falls anytime soon. 

For the remainder of the night, the young brunette tossed and turned, clenching her eyes shut trying to block out the memories and thoughts that had been keeping her up. But her efforts were in vain. No matter how hard she tried, memories would leak into the forefront of her mind like a broken faucet. Some were clearer than others. Some were from her time as dark Josie, others when she was in her subconscious. Despite vividly remembering some of the things she did, most of it was a blur. Half of the time, Josie would wonder if she didn’t imagine some of it. I mean, who would believe her if she said she saw Hope Mikaelson wearing a red riding hood costume? 

Shaking her head, Josie turned to her side. She reached out and pulled the extra cushion towards her, clutching on to it for dear life. Throwing a leg on top of it, she snuggled further into the soft cushion. Taking a deep breath, Josie let her growing tiredness sink into her bones as she tried to ignore her racing thoughts. But one remained as her eyelids grew heavier and her breathing evened out: 

Did she do the right thing?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kudos, comments and bookmarks ! Hopefully I didn't disappoint

The next morning, the sun shone through the thin curtains, lighting up the room gradually. Once it was high enough, Josie stirred awake. Stretching her arms as she sat up, yawning. It took her a few moments to find the courage to get out of bed. A small part of her was eager to lie back down and fall asleep, but she couldn’t. She had to keep on moving. Had to get further away from Mystic Falls. 

With that thought in mind, Josie reached over to the end of her bed, grabbed her bag and pulled it onto her legs. She fished out an envelope and opened it.

She counted fifteen twenty-dollar bills. It’s all the money she had saved up throughout the years, tucked in her little piggy bank on her desk. Three hundred dollars. That should be enough for a couple of days if she was careful. Shoving the money back in her bag, Josie picked up a pair of black trousers and a jumper. She hurriedly got dressed, then grabbed her bags and left, handing her key back on the way out.

She walked along the same streets as the night before. The town seemed friendly and quaint. It reminded her of Mystic Falls in some ways. The diverse little shops on the streets, a little café with some derivative of the town’s name on its sign. The town square with a patch of greenery encircling a statue of someone important. 

A weird sensation was creeping up her chest as she kept on walking. Her mind would drift off to her sister who was probably awake by now. What was Lizzie’s reaction when she saw her sister wasn’t in their shared room? How long did it take for her to find the letter Josie had left on her bed? What had she thought when she read it? Was she going to respect Josie’s wishes and not look for her? Or was she going to drag her back to Mystic Falls and face everyone? Was she going to understand? 

Shaking her head, Josie stopped at the red light indicating she couldn’t cross the road yet. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Lizzie would understand and if not, well at least she won’t be there to feel her see her wrath. The little man turned green and Josie crossed the street and walked over to the bus stop. Looking at the timetables she saw the next bus was in an hour and a half. 

Huffing slightly because she didn’t want to stay in one place for a very long time, Josie decided it was best if she bought some food and drinks for the trip. The sandwich she had made last night had been eaten on the bus. 

Josie walked for only a few minutes until she found a small store. Walking in, she was greeted by the cashier tending to a customer. Nodding back, she picked up a basket and strolled through the aisles. 

She mainly picked snacks - they were going to last longer than the fruits at the front of the shop - breakfast bars, water bottles and an energy drink. 

Once she had gotten to the register, she pulled out the envelope from her bag and handed the cashier a twenty-dollar bill. After having shoved all her groceries in the same bag with the money, Josie left and walked back to the bus stop. She pulled one of the breakfast bars out and nibbled on it as she waited. 

She didn’t mind. Truly. She liked people watching. It’s something she did whenever she found herself waiting for her sister and mother who were busy buying the latest trends in whatever city they were staying in. Usually, however, she would be sitting in a café enjoying a cappuccino and whatever sweety goodness they had on sale that day. This, however, was a far cry from Europe.

The morning wind was cold as it brushed against Josie’s bare skin. The streets were basically vacant if not for some people driving to work, picking up a coffee on the way. It was still too early for kids and teens to be walking to school. They were probably enjoying warm pancakes covered in sirup, drinking orange juice and laughing about something inconsequential. 

Curiously, Josie looked at the timetable again, only this time her eyes drifted to the bus line heading to Mystic Falls. In bold numbers it read seven thirty. Josie looked at the time on the clock tower and saw it was only seven fifteen. 

It wasn’t too late to turn back. 

She could evidently go home and face the music. Face the worried look her father had whenever he saw her. Face her sister’s unbridled frustration she would usually feel through their twin bond. Face the student body and faculty who were probably glad she left. Face Hope. She’s not even sure Hope cared whether or not she was at school or not. By the lack of acknowledgement from said tribrid, Josie was pretty sure she would leave her be. 

It’s not like Josie didn’t try to see her - to thank her - but every time she knocked on Hope’s door she was always greeted with silence. Her dad had told her about Landon, so she guessed Hope was with him. It felt wrong to talk to Hope when she was grieving for her maybe-soon-to-be-resurrected boyfriend, even though she felt this need to make sure she was okay. 

The sound of a bus rolling up brought her back to reality. Josie’s heart started thudding in her chest. Standing up, she grabbed her bags and headed to the door that swung open.  
She glanced at the steps, then at the road, then the steps again.

The driver cleared his throat. “On or off?” 

Josie shifted on her feet for a few more seconds. Should she go back? 

“Off”. She blurted out, taking an automatic step back. The driver gave a tight lip smile before closing the door and driving off. Josie followed the bus with her eyes until it turned a corner and was out of sigh. She took a deep breath - she did the right thing, she said to herself - then walked back to her seat on the bench and sat down.

An hour later, another bus arrived, and Josie got on this one. After paying for her ticket, Josie walked to the back of the bus and slipped into a seat next to the window. It wasn’t crowded, only a few people were on it. So, Josie pulled out her headphones and plugged them into her ipod. Once she had pressed play, she rested her head against the window and watched as the different towns passed her by. 

When lunchtime came around, Josie munched on half of the packet of Cheetos and drank the entirety of her energy drink. When she was done, she pulled her bags closer to her and went back to watching the road. 

For dinner she finished the Cheetos in the comfort of her motel room, watching some film that was on the television before drifting off to sleep covered in Cheeto dust.

This was to be Josie’s life for the next few days. Waking up, getting ready, taking the earliest bus possible and sleeping in a cheap motel. Yet money was low, she was only a day or two away before she would be flat broke. 

The only sliver of hope was the ukulele Josie found abandoned at a bus stop late one night. She looked around but she was alone. She was going to leave it but something was telling her to take it. So, she brought it with her to the motel that night. She kept eyeing it as she sat on the bed, digging through a bag of Fritos.

Finally, she threw the empty packet in the bin and chugged down a bottle of water. Pulling the instrument into her lap, she traced it with her fingers, admiring its simplicity. Josie found it beautiful how a slab of wood and some strings could fill a dull room with sounds that helped to portray the artist’s emotions. When words weren’t enough, a melody was there to back you up.

When her fingers found the chords, Josie tested them out. A cacophony of out of tune chords echoed in her room. Cringing slightly, Josie halted the still vibrating strings by slapping her palm on them. Breathing out a little huff, Josie started to work on tuning the ukulele. 

It was nearing midnight when Josie was satisfied with the sound. She strummed a few chords of a song she knew by heart before settling the instrument down beside her bed and going to bed. 

The next day, as Josie was waiting for her bus, she decided to play a little tune to cheer people up on their way to work. 

Josie ran out of money in Kansas City. 

Busking wasn’t enough apparently.

Cursing under her breath, Josie started panicking. She had just enough for one night in a motel and a small trip to the closest 7-eleven. Then she would be completely broke. What was she to do? 

The sun was starting to set over the horizon, the streetlights were turning on and the cold breeze started to pick up. She had no choice. 

Walking to the motel receptionist, Josie asked for a room with a heavy heart. The dread of ultimately sleeping on the street hovering over her head. The employee nodded kindly, typing the details Josie gave them in the computer before turning around and pulling a key off the wall. 

“Here.” They said politely, handing her the key. 

Josie reluctantly took the key and picked up her duffel backpack before walking down the corridor in search of her room.

Once she was in, she dropped everything and ran to the bed, throwing herself on it. Grabbing the pillow closest to her, Josie started sobbing. Her whole body was shaking, she felt utterly lost. 

How did she get here? She wondered. 

A year ago, if you would have told Josie she would find herself alone, stranded in Missouri, she wouldn’t have believed you. Yet here she was. Nearly nine hundred miles from the people she loved, out of money and soon on the streets. She thought back to home where her sister and friends were probably enjoying a delicious, cooked meal, basking in the warmth the fireplace in the main lounge provided.

She should have gotten on that bus, gone back to the security Mystic Falls had always provided. But she couldn't. Not now. Maybe not ever. She left a letter for goodness’s sake. She pulled a Landon. How could she go crawling back after one bump in the road? 

She couldn't. 

She did this to herself. She could have stayed in Mystic Falls and suffered through the glares and whispers she had been privy to for a couple of days. Whether they were deserved or not, she needed a clean break. Leaving seemed like such a good idea when she was curled up in her bed.

Her sister wouldn't be threatening people to accept her again. Alyssa wouldn't be able to send her snide remarks and make her trip and fall splat on the floor. Her dad wouldn't have to defend her left, right and centre. She wouldn't have to see Landon all together. They might be friends, but she still hadn't forgiven him for their breakup. She knew it was coming, but he did it in such a tactless way it left a little resentment in her heart for bird boy. And Hope… well Hope is a big question mark right now. She was kind and understanding in Josie's subconscious but then she ignored her? Why? What had changed? What had she done wrong? 

That was a rhetorical question. She knew exactly what she did. But Hope seemed to understand her. She even said she would never give up on her. But now all she could do was chuck it up to Hope saying whatever she needed to hear to get her back. She probably didn't mean anything by it. 

Tears streamed down her face as she curled herself into a foetal position, trying to find some form of comfort. 

Too engrossed in her self-pity, Josie didn't hear the shuffling at her door or the harsh whispers too loud to be qualified as whispers.

Half an hour past and Josie’s sobs slowly turned to sniffles, eventually stopping all together. She found herself clutching a drenched pillow, shivering from the cold this time. It took her a few moments to steady herself before pushing herself off the bed. She picked up a towel and her pyjamas before making a beeline to the shower. 

She was going to enjoy all this dingy motel had to offer while it lasted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3x02 hit different though
> 
> I was thinking maybe a Lizzie chapter next, what do you guys think?👀


	3. Chapter 3

If someone were to tell Lizzie she would wake up one day to an empty room and a letter from her sister lying against her lampshade she wouldn’t have believed you. 

On one hand, who in their right mind would use a letter to say goodbye when they had it done to them? On the other hand, her sister wouldn’t dare do that after Lizzie had spent the last two days trying to get everyone to like Josie again. No, there was no way. 

Yet here she was, marching towards her dad in the hall, determination in every step. 

“Dad.” She called once she turned the corner. 

Alaric spun around, book in hand, and looked at his daughter with a tired and rundown expression.

“Lizzie, now’s not the time. I need to go find Raf-” He started to say but was cut off by Lizzie holding her hand up at his face.

“Raf can wait. This is important.” 

Alaric sighed, raising his free hand to the bridge of his nose. “What is it?” He asked.

Lizzie rolled her eyes. “Well, _dad_ , if you really want to know, Josie, my sweet, sweet twin sister, has decided to take matters into her own hands and leave Mystic Falls.” 

Alaric’s stance suddenly shifted from a slight slouch and all-around tired look to a more alert one. His back straightened and shoulders stiffened as his eyes widened.

“What do you mean?” He blurted out.

“Oh, _now_ you’re interested?” She snarked. 

“Lizzie.” 

The blond twin rolled her eyes as she pulled out the letter her twin had left her and handed it to her dad. He grabbed it immediately, unfolding the letter then started reading it. Lizzie was tapping her foot rhythmically while waiting, her arms folded across her chest. 

Suddenly, Alaric’s eyes snapped up to his daughter’s, brows furrowed. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” He exclaimed.

Lizzie gasped, taking a step back, her arms falling to her sides. 

“I woke up and she was gone. How was I supposed to know she left?” She argued, frustrated her father was blaming her for this. 

“You sleep in the same room, you are constantly together, you should have known she was going to do something like this!” He shot back. 

“You don’t get to tell me what I should and shouldn’t have seen. You’ve barely spoken to Josie since she got back! You spend all your time in your office doing god knows what, and when we come to you for something you sigh and tell us to come back later. Well, guess what _dad_ , it’s later and you screwed up.” Lizzie fired back, attracting a few curious eyes from the students in the hall. 

Alaric crumpled the letter as he used his hand to point a finger at Lizzie. The vein in his forehead was pulsing as he spoke. “You don’t get to talk to me like that.” 

“No.” Lizzie spat, her tone of voice mimicking her mother’s when either her or her twin royally screwed up. “You don’t get to try and father me when you relinquished that role a long time ago.” Alaric started spluttering, his mouth having dropped slightly before swallowing. Lizzie cut him off before he could even let the first syllable slip. “I don’t care for whatever you have to say because honestly, nothing could atone for your lack of parenting. But that’s not the point.” She sighed. “Josie is gone, and the only reason I came to you was to tell you I’m going to go and get her back. I’ll muster up the Supersquad and we’ll be on our way.”

“You can’t.” Alaric said in a whisper. 

Lizzie kept on talking, ignoring her father’s comment. “Kaleb can drive the Salvatore car and MG can pack the food. Hope and I can track Josie and talk some sense into her.” 

“You can’t do that Lizzie.” Alaric repeated slightly higher than before. 

Lizzie’s head snapped back to her father with an unimpressed look. “Seriously? Now you try and tell me what to do? Need I remind you we kill monsters on a weekly basis, in comparison a road trip is child’s play.” 

“No Lizzie.” Alaric’s tone was firm, his hand clutching the book against his chest tightened.  
Lizzie watched him with a quirked brow. “Okay, spill. What am I missing?” If it were not for the situation at hand, Lizzie would find it amusing seeing her father squirm under her gaze. It barely lasted a minute before he relinquished. 

“Fine, go but Hope can’t come, neither can Landon.” 

“Who said anything about chicken little? And why can’t Hope come?” 

Alaric’s gaze flickered to the lingering students in the hall then back to his daughter. “Not here.” He said before turning around and started walking in the opposite direction. Lizzie took that as her cue to follow him. 

“Don’t you all have classes to go to.” Alaric snapped to the room. Lizzie merely rolled her eyes at his attempt of authority but didn’t say anything. He was finally trusting her with some information, she wasn’t going to pass that up. 

Lizzie was confused when she found herself in front of Hope’s bedroom door. 

“What you’re about to see has to stay between us. No one can know.” Alaric said, glancing at his daughter with an unreadable expression before reaching for the handle and opening the door.

Once they both shuffled inside, Alaric shut the door and turned towards his daughter.

“Know any soundproofing spells?” He asked. Lizzie gave him a tight-lipped smile, trying to stop herself from using his lack of knowledge on his daughters’ curriculum as another example of his role as an absentee father. Instead, she muttered an _‘of course’_ and siphoned some magic from the bedroom wall. 

Once the thin veil covered the entirety of the room Alaric walked over to Hope’s sleeping form on her bed. Lizzie stared blankly at her father unimpressed. 

_So? Hope was sleeping. Wake her up and we can leave._ She thought. 

Alaric cleared his throat, still watching Hope, unable to look at his daughter as he spoke. 

“She hasn’t woken up.” He let the statement flow through the air, letting the weight of it settle in the room. “She’s been in a coma ever since she jumped into Josie’s subconscious.” 

Lizzie took a step forward, glimpsing at the all-powerful tribrid sleeping. She looked almost – dare she say it – peaceful. 

It doesn’t take a genius or an empath to tell that a lot has been weighing on Hope for years now. It was obvious in the way she took charge whenever there was a monster or when someone was in trouble. It was obvious in the way she was determined to save Josie from the darkness, even if that meant locking Alaric and Kaleb up in the therapy box. Everyone relied on her to save the day. To be the hero. Landon more than most. He would do something to endanger himself and Hope would have to swoop up and save him every damn time. 

Lizzie still trying to figure out how Landon managed to woo two women that are way out of his league. It’s a mystery she probably will never solve.

Lizzie shook her head, railing in her thoughts. Now was not the time to question two of the most important people in her life’s terrible taste in men. 

Instead, she turned towards her father with an inscrutable look. 

“And why didn’t you tell us the second she didn’t wake up?” She asked, scrapping her teeth together in an attempt to stop herself from lashing out.

“Rafael and I have it under control.” He replied, turning his heels to face his daughter.

“Clearly you don’t.” 

“Lizzie.” 

“This is clearly a witch problem that requires a witch solution. Raf’s a wolf last time I checked.” Lizzie spat. She couldn’t believe her father would hide this from her. Honestly, he’s such an idiot.

Sometimes Lizzie wonders why her parents can’t switch places. Caroline could run the school whilst Alaric looks for a way to save the twins from the merge. It would only make sense. Caroline was a vampire, a supernatural. She could keep everyone in check. Alaric was a human professor who used to dig for relics. 

“Josie just woke up and I wanted you two to have a sense of normality. You shouldn’t have to deal with this stuff.” Alaric argued back with a tired tone. 

Lizzie shook her head. “That’s bullshit.” She scoffed. “First of all, we’re witches. This is our normal. Secondly, that doesn’t explain Rafael’s involvement. And thirdly, that’s bullshit, we’ve been dealing with this stuff ever since Landon waltzed in here and stole a knife.” 

Alaric sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day which really started to piss Lizzie off.  
“No, and you know what, where is bird brain? Shouldn’t he be here with his girlfriend? Or did he see a problem he caused and decided to up and leave too?” 

“Landon’s in his room, in his own coma.”

Lizzie flopped down on Alyssa’s bed. “Oh god. He FOMOed his way into a coma.” 

“What?” Alaric asked. “No, Lizzie. Rafael stabbed him with the golden arrow the same night we got Josie back. He hasn’t woken up since.” 

Lizzie covered her face with her hands and groaned as she pulled them down her face. She stayed in that position thinking things over. Alaric stood, waiting for his daughter to say or do something. He glanced back at the sleeping tribrid and then the clock on the bedroom wall. He was supposed to be meeting Rafael to help with some research. 

Suddenly, Lizzie bolted upright with a determined look. “Okay, I’ve come to the conclusion that you are _way_ over your head and will be needing some outside help. So, while MG and I are gone, you are going to get your act together and call mum.” Lizzie was standing up at this point, one hand already on the doorknob. “And if you don’t, I will know.” With those final words, Lizzie was out of the room leaving behind a flabbergasted Alaric. 

“You’re sure your dad is okay with this?” MG asked as he hoisted a duffel bag in the trunk of the car. 

Lizzie was leaning against the door, her hand clutching the school phone with the map app open.  
“Don’t worry, we’ll be the last thing on his mind soon enough.” She said, waving her hand in the air.

MG closed the hood and rested his hands against it as he watched Lizzie with a puzzled expression. Lizzie noticed, of course, but didn’t acknowledge it.

“According to this, we are a six-hour drive to where we last tracked Josie to.” She said instead, pushing herself off the car and opening the driver’s side door. “I’ll drive.” She added before sliding in and closing the door. 

MG chuckled slightly before slipping in the passenger seat. “So, where are we going exactly?” 

“Louisville Kentucky.” Lizzie said, scrunching her nose up. “Of all the places to go.” She muttered under her breath, turning the engine on, and pulling out of the driveway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally decided to do something with my twitter account, so follow me on twitter @Wrath_of_Ros3s if you want :)
> 
> Also I'm looking for a proof reader so if you're interested contact me on twitter or in the comments
> 
> I hope you liked the chapter !


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